Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It sits on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and is located immediately south of Milwaukee. The population was 36,497 at the 2020 census. In 2011, the city was one of the fastest growing in Milwaukee County and all of Wisconsin. The area has experienced an economic boom in recent years, with the addition of large companies such as Amazon, IKEA, the Astronautics Corporation of America & Meijer
On January 2, 1838, the territorial legislature divided Milwaukee County into two towns: the Town of Milwaukee, encompassing everything north of the present Greenfield Avenue, and the Town of Lake encompassing everything south of the present Greenfield Avenue; "and the polls of election shall be opened at the house of Elisha Higgins, in said town." On March 8, 1839, a new Town of Kinnikennick was created, encompassing the western part of Lake (later the Towns of Greenfield and Franklin); finally, on August 13, 1840, the south portion of the Town of Lake was split off to form the town of Oak Creek. As of the 1840 census, the population of the Town of Lake (then including Oak Creek) was 418.
In 1955, the Town of Oak Creek, then still semi-rural with a population of 4,807 in the 1950 census, was incorporated as a city under the terms of Wisconsin statute 66.0215, also known as "The Oak Creek Law." The Oak Creek Law was crafted by Town Attorney Tony Basile to prevent Oak Creek's annexation by the City of Milwaukee, which by annexations (including the 1954 annexation of the remainder of the Town of Lake) was now bordering Oak Creek and had already annexed one small portion of the town; the law was shepherded through the legislature with the help of state Democratic party legislative joint committee chairman Leland McParland, who was the state senator for Oak Creek.
Carrollville is a historic neighborhood in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, located along the Lake Michigan shoreline. It developed in the late 19th century as an industrial village, initially centered around the Lakeside Distillery and later the U.S. Glue Company, which began operations around 1899. The factory processed leather waste from Milwaukee tanneries and included worker housing, some of which remains today.
In the 1930s, the plant was acquired by the Peter Cooper Corporation, and later by the French firm Rousselot in 1976. Glue production continued until the facility closed in 1985. A major fire in 1987 destroyed much of the abandoned complex. The site, along with other nearby chemical and fertilizer facilities, left a legacy of environmental contamination. Starting in the 2000s, Oak Creek launched efforts to remediate and redevelop the area as part of a broader lakefront revitalization plan. Cleanup and demolition work have aimed to convert the former industrial site into public and recreational space.
On September 6, 1985, Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a DC-9-14, crashed shortly after takeoff from Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport. The aircraft experienced an uncontained engine failure and crashed into a field in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing all 31 people on board. The NTSB determined the crash was caused by pilot error following the engine failure, including improper rudder input and poor crew coordination.
On August 5, 2012, a mass shooting occurred at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. Wade Michael Page, a white supremacist and former Army veteran, opened fire during morning services, killing six worshippers and wounding four others, including a responding police officer. A seventh victim died from injuries in 2020. Page died by suicide after being shot by police. The attack was classified as a domestic terrorism hate crime and is considered the deadliest attack on Sikhs in U.S. history. The incident led to increased awareness of hate crimes and prompted changes in how such crimes are tracked by federal agencies.
In recent years, the 85-acre site called the Drexel Town Square, built on part of the site where the gigantic AC Spark Plug factory once stood, has become the city's newest economic venture. It is home to a number of retail shops, restaurants, a hotel, residential buildings, and a medical facility. The Civic Center includes city hall and the public library. The town square also features a farmers market, splash pad, ice rink, and an outdoor amphitheater. The town square development won the 2016 Vision Award from the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Oak Creek is located at 42°53′4″N 87°53′57″W (42.884347, −87.899209).
It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area and borders the cities of Milwaukee and Greenfield to the north, the city of South Milwaukee to the north and east, Lake Michigan to the east, the village of Caledonia to the south, the city of Franklin and the village of Greendale to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.45 square miles (73.69 km2), all land.
A small section of the Root River flows north from Racine County through Oak Creek at its southern edge at the Root River Parkway. Additionally, the Oak Creek watershed originates in the city of Franklin and meanders through to Grant Park in South Milwaukee, and ultimately into Lake Michigan. The stream drains about 26 square miles.
As of the 2020 census, Oak Creek had a population of 36,497. The median age was 38.9 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.
97.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 15,035 households in Oak Creek, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.6% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 15,620 housing units, of which 3.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.
At the 2010 census, there were 34,451 people, 14,064 households and 9,077 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,210.9 per square mile (467.5/km2). There were 14,754 housing units at an average density of 518.6 per square mile (200.2/km2). The racial makeup was 87.7% White, 2.8% African American, 0.7% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population.
There were 14,064 households, of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 28.6% were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.06.